“We’ve seen it so often in Australian politics – this two-stage act play in removing a prime minister – and, given how close the vote was, there’s definitely more to come,” said Haydon Manning, a political science professor at Flinders University in South Australia state.

Australia has gone through an extraordinary period of political instability since Prime Minister John Howard lost power in 2007 after more than 11 years in office.

Mr Turnbull will next month become Australia’s longest serving prime minister since Howard, having held the office for three years and four days.

Labour prime minister Kevin Rudd was ousted by his deputy Julia Gillard in 2010. He later returned the favour and stormed back to power in 2013 shortly before losing the election to Tony Abbott’s Liberal/National coalition. Mr Abbott was then unseated in a party coup by Mr Turnbull in 2015.

Mr Abbott is now a vocal backbencher and is widely seen as a key instigator of the move against the prime minister this week, which has left Mr Turnbull heading a party where 35 people do not want him as leader.

Damian Drum, a lawmaker in The Nationals’ party, a junior coalition partner, called on Mr Abbott to resign from Parliament.

“He vowed that he wouldn’t be a wrecker,” Mr Drum said. “That’s exactly what he’s been – he needs to get out of the joint.”